Using disclosure forms filed with the Senate, the watchdog group found that 880 organizations lobbied Congress on the matter during the first quarter of 2009, an increase of 14 percent over the same time span last year. The center also reported that just 10 firms in Washington represent nearly 100 of those groups looking to sway members of Congress.

Climate change has been an increasingly prominent topic in the nation’s capital this year, with President Obama calling energy policy a top priority and the new chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Representative Henry A. Waxman, looking to craft an ambitious bill that could include a cap-and-trade system.

What's Next

About

How are climate change, scarcer resources, population growth and other challenges reshaping society? From science to business to politics to living, our reporters track the high-stakes pursuit of a greener globe in a dialogue with experts and readers.